Aerial and other vessel.



A. HORTON.

AERIAL AND OTHER VESSEL.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 4, 1911 1,01 9,646. Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

3 SHEETB-SHEET 1.

A. HORTON.

AERIAL AND OTHER VESSEL.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG 4, 1911.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912,

38HBETB-SHEBT 2.

A. HORTON. AERIAL AND OTHER VESSEL. 121 1110111011 FILED AUG. 4, 1911.

1 ,019,646. Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

3 SHEETB-BHEET 3.

ALEXAFI'DER HORTON, OF PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND.

AERIAL AND OTHER VESSEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 4, 1911.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

Serial No. 642,393.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER HORTON, a subject of the King of England,residing at 38 Marmion road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial and otherVessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to airships and refe'rs more especially toimprovements on that type of such vessels as are sui able for use eitherupon the water or in the air, being provided with a boat-shaped body,adapted to float on the water, supporting planes for suspending thevessel in the air, and furnished with suitable floats, elevators andrudders, which rudders may in some cases beactuated by the movements ofthe body of the pilot.

According to my present invention, I provide in connection with the bodyof the aerial vessel a weight which is adapted to slide longitudinallyand to be raised and lowered with respect to the body of the vessel andI form the side planes of the vessel with flaps which may be operatedtogether or independently for steering the vessel with respect to thehorizontal or vertical directions. I further prefer to combine with myaerial vessel means for enabling the rudders to be actuated by means ofthe movement of the body, a device which has been already adapted toother classes of aerial vessels and to boats.

In the preferred method of constructing an aerial vessel according to myinvention, I build the boat preferably of extremely light material,which boat is provided on the port and starboard sides with two planescomlng preferably at about the height of the gunwale connected thereto,which planes are so constructed that the whole or a portion of them canbe set at any desired angle.

Attached in any suitable way to the boat are supporting planes soarranged that they are suitable for supporting the vessel in the airwhen it leaves the water, and adapted also to sustain more or less ofthe weight when the vessel is skimming over the water. Mounted at thebow of the boat is an auxiliar plane or auxiliary planes which are fittewith elevators. At the stern of the ders. At the bottom of the boat isfitted a weight which is adapted to slide longitudinally with respect tothe boat and to be lowered or raised into and out of the water as may berequired in order to increase the stability of the vessel when skimmingthe water. In order to further increase the stability on the water Iprovide hollow metal cylinders mounted in a known manner in connectionwith the side planes for dipping into the water when there is a tendencyfor the vessel to heel over to one side and for counteracting suchtendency. The vessel is provided with one or more suitable propellers ortractors.

In order to facilitate the steering of the vessel and to leave the pilotfree to attend to the management of the engine and to other details, Iso arrange that the steering can be controlled by the natural motions ofthe body without it being necessary to utilize the hands for this urposeand without it being necessary for t fie ilot to give his mind to thesteering. To e ect this, I provide a frame fitting more or less closelyto the trunk of the pilot. This frame is provided with side levers whichcontrol the rudder lines as hereinafter explained.

The engines are suitably disposed in the body of the boat, which body isprovided with airtight or other compartments such as can be used forstoring of petrol, provisions or the like, and suitable sleepingaccommodation may be provided for the members of the crew. And in orderthat my said invention may be better understood, I will now proceed todescribe the same with reference to the drawings accompanying thisspecification which show by way of example merely one method of carryingmy invention into effect as applied to a hydro-aeroplane.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete vessel; Fig. 2 is a plan of same; Fig. 3 shows details of the shifting keelweight. Fig. 4 shows a section on line C, D, Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrow. Fig. 5 shows a part plan of Fig. 4 the mainplanes being removed; Figs. 6 and 7 show details hereinafter referredto.

The same letters and numerals of reference are-employed to denote thesame parts in all the views.

a shows the boat which is preferably of very light construction andbuilt on such lines that it presents a flat surface at the bottom withprogressively inclined sides as shown at Fig. 4.] Attached to thegunwale of the boat on either side are the planes 1), b. These planesare provided with shutters 0. These shutters are mounted upon spindles dfurnished at the ends with handles or levers e. In the normal positionthe shutters a form a portion of the planes 6, but when it is requiredto steer or elevate they may be raised more or less to suit requirementsas shown at Fig. 1.

Mounted on suitable supports above the boat are the main supportingplanes f and g. These planes are of the ordinary construction well knownin connection with aeroplanes, but are preferably inclined downwardtoward the outer ends as shown clearly at Fig. 1.

Depending from the ends of the under main plane f are hollow cylindersof metal 0, which are adapted to dip into the water on either side. mand n are planes mounted at the bow of the vessel and p is an elevatorpivoted to the front of the plane 72.. To the corners of this elevator pare suitably attached stays g which pass to a sliding sleeve 1' adaptedto slide along an arc-shaped guide 8. The curvature of the arc is suchthat it is struck from the center of rotation of the elevator plane p.Suitable means not shown on the drawings, are provided for enabling thepilot to alter the position of the sliding sleeve 1". This elevator andits fittings are shown merely by way of example in con nection with thepresent vessel as any known kind of elevator may be employed but Iprefer to use the elevator just described.

t is a tractor mounted at the bow of the vessel and suitably driven fromthe engine.

'0 and 'w are planes at the stern of the vessel.

- w is a large rudder mounted between the planes 4) and w, and z is asmall rudder adapted to work in unison with the rudder w, and dip intothe water.

Referring to Fig. 3, 2 is a heavy weight pivoted at 3 to a screwthreaded sleeve A which is mounted upon a screw threaded shaft 5,operated by means of a handle 6. This weight has attached to the lowerpor tion thereof a cable 6 passing over a drum 7 operated from a handle8. The weight 2 is disposed in a casing 9 in the body of the boat. Theweight is intended for increasing the stability of the vessel when inthe water and can be lowered for this Purpose. also he slidlongitudinally in order to facilitate the balance of the vesselaccording to the load being carried or other conditions.

10, Fig. 5, is a compartment furnished with an airtight door 11.

12 are compartments or tanks at the sides of the boat, which are adaptedto contain a supply of petrol in cans or otherwise. 13 are spacesabovethese compartments 12 and It can beneath the weather boards 14, whichcan be used assleeping bunks for the crew or passengers.

15 is the engine which may be of any suitable construction and ismounted upon the engine platform 16, which is carried by suitablebrackets or spring supports.

At Fig. 1 the vessel. is shown fitted with a single tractor t while inFig. 4 the vessel is shown fitted with an alternative method of drivingin which two propellers 17 are provided, shown dotted in the drawing.

Referring now to the steering mechanism which is shown more particularlyat Figs. 6 and 7 in which Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the steeringseat and Fig; 6 is a plan, 18 is a seat, which is mounted upon supports19. 20 are right-angled levers bent as shown at Fig. 6. These aremounted at the top of the bent lever 22, the other end of which ispivoted to the supports 19. Arms 23 of the levers 20 have attached tothe ends thereof rudder lines 24. 25 is a rod pivoted to the ends of thelevers 20 which works upon a rest 26. The action of this steeringmechanism will be easily understood :When the pilot desires to' turn thevesselin any particular direction or to counteract the vessels tendencyto turn in any direction, it is only necessary to turn his body to acertain extent when the levers 20 are actuated causing the rudder lines24 to alter the position of the rudder to the desired extent.

The general action of the vessel will be readily understood :It will beobserved that whether it is traveling in the air or skimming the water,the motion is communicated to it by the tractor or propeller, which isalways working in the air. Assuming that the vessel is at rest on thewater in which position the displacement is practically m'Z, when thetractor or propeller is started the vessel commences to skim along onthe water. In order to steer upon the water the rudder lines areactuated actuating the rudder z and if desired a corresponding shutter 0may be operated to assist'in the steering..

If it is desired to leave the water, the front elevator p and if desiredthe elevating shutters c, are turned into the position, say, that shownat Fig. 1, andfthe resistance of the air beneath these elevators andshutters lifts the front of the vessel. When the air catches under theboat, owing to the formation of the lower portion thereof, this liftingefiect is accentuated by the pressure coming on the bottom of the boatin such a way that the vessel leaves the water and rises into the air.When in the air the steering can still be effected by swaying the bodyor by the operation of the shutters o as required. The stability of thevessel may be regulated, whether in the water or in the air, by suitably raising or sliding the weight 2.

Although I have shown my vessel for v planes.

gliding over the water and for flying in the air as fitted withbi-planes it may be fitted with a mono-plane or with more than two Againthe details of construct-ion may be varied to suit requirements, forinstance I may vary the number of propellers and shutters, thedisposition and number of the auxiliary planes, the shaping of the bodyand the device for increasing buoyancy. It will be further understoodthat the invention may be applied to vessels of any dimensions, from thelargest sizes for practical use, down to the smallest models.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States of America is 1. In a flying machine, .the combinationof a boat,'supporting planes extendinglaterally from the'upper portionof the boat, a

rudder pivoted to the boat, a seat for the operator, a pair of rightangle levers pivoted tothe seat, the levers having one of their legsextending in the same direction and their other legs in oppositedirections, a rod pivotally connecting the first mentioned legs of thelevers, and means connecting'the oppositely extending legs of the leverswith the rudder whereby therudder may be actuated by the o eratorleaning against the first mentione legs of the levers, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a flying machine, the combination of a boat, supporting planesextendin laterall from the upper'portion of the oat, a

ru cler pivoted to the boat, a seat for the operator, vertical supportsprojecting from the seat, right angle levers pivoted to the supports,the levers having one of their legs extending rearwardly and their otherlegs laterally in opposite directions, a brace pivotally connected tothe support and fixed to the rearwardly extendmg egs of the levers, arod ivotally c onnecting the rearwardly extending legs of the levers, arest slidably supporting the rod, and means con necting the; laterallyextending legs of the levers with the rudder whereby the rudder may beactuated by the operator leaning against the rearwar ly levers,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my, signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

ALEXANDER HORTON. Witnesses:

A. E. VIDAL, L. SIMMONDS.

extending legs ofthe 5 0

